


Stains of paint

by FernShaw



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24064627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FernShaw/pseuds/FernShaw
Summary: Nailmaster had completed his purpose, yet the knight refuse to kill himAnd in his search for the little being, nailsmith will find someone that would change entirely his life
Relationships: Nailsmith/Nailmaster Sheo (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 58





	Stains of paint

This was unfair. So unfair.  
The nailsmith had worked all of his life to get this perfect nail, and yet this little knight couldn't just do a little favor. He had no more purpose, no reason to live, nothing left. He just asked to be killed by his creation. The little knight never talked nor showed any kind of emotions, so he couldn't even tell why did he left him be on that cliff. Was it pity ? Was it fear ? Or maybe just not caring about him ? 

In any way, he was still alive, with no reason to live but refusing to die without the use of this precious nail. He wanted to go with honour, even if it slowly went to a feeling of despair. He mainly feared living a senseless life, with nothing keeping him from boredom and regrets. 

So he started to wander. He wasn't a nail expert, yes, but he had learned through many years of training was more than enough to defend himself from the infected creatures. He traveled to see the knight again. To convince them to finish him. That was his new goal, at least for a while. 

He thought that taking a detour through greenpath wasn't such a bad idea. After all, this place was full of secrets and little things to explore, and it seemed that the knight was looking for this kind of things especially. The place wasn't painful to stay around, he just had to be especially careful when it came to acid lakes. Between the moss creepers and the little fresh air of the place, the nailsmith almost wanted to stay around and appreciate the place. Sadly he wasn't in the place for that, and he had to keep in mind his goal. No traces of the knight anywhere, not a single clue of where he could have been. It was painfully frustrating, even if his research had only started. Why was he fleeing ? What did it seek ? Maybe recognition ? Why would he think that sparing the life of a demanding old man would give them any kind of recognition, he wanted this death ! So badly ! Maybe it seeked peace ? Then why didn't he kill him when he specified that would bring him the peace he seeked ! 

All was just ... So confusing...

After vising a good part of the area, nailsmith stopped. His old body was already too tired to move more. He wasn't going to find the knight again, not at this rate. Reality was cruel in every way possible and he should have known that better than anyone else. It wasn't a bad place to say goodbye to a world, but a feeling of incompletion was still itching his whole body. Maybe he should have just gave up a long time ago. Maybe he should have stayed in the city. Why did he even chose to go to greenpath ? It wasn't a special area nor an especially obvious place for a wanderer. It was just ... Completely absurd.   
Probably like the rest of his actions.   
The nailsmith sighed, slowly laying his body down onto the mossy ground and closing his tired eyes. Dreaming one last time before the end was perhaps the best death he could have faced. That might have been a good place to dream one last time, yes.   
He let himself slowly go into a deep, deep sleep, hoping that it would end in at least a good thought.

"Hello there, are you okay ?"

He had no idea how much he slept, or if he even dreamed. Still, the nailmaster was woke up by a deep, comforting voice. 

"Thank goodness you were able to wake up. It is quite a strange place to take a nap, at least I wouldn't recommend this spot for it."

"Who... Are you ?"

"I'm Sheo. Nice to meet you."

Slowly being brought to his knees by a gentle hand, nailsmith slowly understood what he was told and started to react appropriately.

"Sheo, Sheo, that name does ring a bell to me ... Wait. Are you perhaps a nailmaster ?"

"Well I ... It was the case before yes. And I guess I still am a nailmaster. Yet I do not practice a lot anymore. I felt like I had something more pleasant to do with my life. Slowly but surely I transformed my skill of using a deadly weapon to one that shall create instead of destroying. I've mastered the skills of art and feel a lot more complete."

"You became an artist ? But why ? Weren't nailarts your reason to live ? To master such a perfect technique yet to waste it on simple art ..."

"I do not think it was waste. If I do something, it is because I felt like it was the right thing to do. Art is spontaneous, you can transform anything you have in mind into actual mater and feel accomplished. I liked nail training before but ... I felt like I wasn't happy by just doing that anymore. Why would I have to force myself to stay someone that I didn't felt proud to be ?"

"... I ... Kind of understand. I wish I could be like you. I wish I could be freed of my purpose and just be something else."

"Why can't you ?"

"Well it ... It is not that simple I think. I spent my whole life with a goal in mind and now that it is accomplished I feel ... Empty."

"If you do not have a goal anymore, then make the idea of having a new passion your new goal ! Life doesn't stop after accomplishing something, or else we would end our lifes after our first victory. You do not need to feel happy all the time, yet the goal in life is to search for that happiness. I don't think that feeling empty after accomplishing a goal is being stupid nor weak. It is just ... Being lost."

"You're right. I'm lost. I'm so lost... I can't even think of something to do, so how would I think of something to be...?"

Sheo slowly grabbed the nailsmith's hand, smiling. 

"You do not need to think alone. Sometimes you might need help. Maybe you can't find a new purpose because you're alone and too lost to think or anything by yourself."

The nailmaster trembled a little, nodding while trying to hide the tears starting to fall down his eyes. 

"... Do you want to at least try to take better care of yourself ? It would probably help with your situation. My house isn't far from here, and would be a better spot to rest in my opinion."

"... Yes."

And so, the nailsmith found his new purpose.

**Author's Note:**

> This probably was written a hundred times by more talent people but I just want comfort for the old gay bug we all love


End file.
